Well stuffing box



July 12, 1955 E. E. LEGATE WELL STUFFING BOX 4 15 fiix 2 Sh c Sh b l .dja

Filed April 21, 1952 lbi United States Patent 9 WELL STUFFING BOX ElsieE. Legato, Les Angeies, Calif.

Application Aprii 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,412

1 Claim. (Cl. 286-16) This invention relates generally to the class ofwells and is directed particularly to improvements in stufiing boxes foruse on the well heads of pumping wells.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide, in a manneras hereinafter set forth, an improved stuffing box for use on the wellhead of a pumping well having a novel packing means which can becontinuously adjusted as wear takes place whereby the packing will bemaintained effective over a materially longer period of time thanpackings of the character wherein the packing material is compressed toa fixed degree and left under the original compression until it is wornto the point where it has to be replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel stuifing boxhaving a head provided with a plurality of compressing wedges which aremounted in a downwardly tapering conical recess or pocket to maintainunder compression around a pumping or polish rod, a compressible packingcylinder.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a structure of the above described character withmeans connected with the head of the packing box for applying downwardpressure to the wedges whereby, as the compressed packing sleeve aroundthe pumping or polish rod wears, the wedges can be forced down to repackthe material around the rod.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, an improved stufiing box wherein the compressiblepacking material which is maintained under compression around thepumping or polish rod, is supporteo in the center or the head of thepacking box or body, by an inserted annular member through whichlubricant is fed to the polish rod below the packing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a stufiing boxassociated with a pumping or polish rod, a means of lubricating the rodby tapping off a portion of the oil from the well, from the gatheringline and running it back into the stufling box for lubricating thepolish rod below the packing in the manner above stated.

I er objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as thedescription of the same proceeds and the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thespecification, with the understanding, however, that the invention isnot to be limited to the exact details of construction shown anddescribed since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled inthe art.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a smiling box constructedin accordance with the present invention, showing the adjusting cap inthe final turned down position on the stufiing box head in whichposition the maximum pressure has been applied to the packing by the capand wedges.

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Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 22 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the central part of the stuflingbox showing the initial position of the wedges after the insertion of anew packing sleeve and before the packing sleeve has been given aninitial compression around the polish rod.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the outer side of one of thecompressing wedges.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the top follower.

Figure 7 is a view illustrating diagrammatically the manner of takingoft" lubricating oil from the gathering line to return it to thestuffing box for lubricating the polish rod.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the numeral 1e generallydesignates the stufiing box body while the numeral 12 designates aportion of the Well head to which the stutfing box is fixed.

As shown the stufiing box comprises a top or head portion 14 of circularcross section and a lower tubular portion 16 which is formed in onepiece with the head and through which is formed the passage 18.

Within the head 14 is a downwardly tapering or conical pocket 26 whichopens into the enlarged cylindrical upper portion 22 or" the passage 18.At the plane of joinder between the passage 18 and the enlar ed upperend portion 22 thereof there is formed the shoulder 24 upon which reststhe annular follower 26 which has an outside diameter approximatelyequal to the inside diameter of the part 22 of the passage and which hasa central opening 23 through which passes the well polish or piston rod30.

Formed in the wall of the enlarged portion 22 of the passage through thestufiing box, just above the follower supporting shoulder 24, is theannular oil channel 31 and leading into this channel radially throughthe head is the inlet passage 32 to which is connected the oil supplypipe 33 which leads from the flow line 34 through which the oil passesfrom the well head to the gathering line 35 which carries the oil to thereceiving tanks, not shown.

As shown in Figure 3 the follower ring or annulus 26 is provided withseveral radial passages 36 through which the oil is led from the inletpassage 32 in against the polish rod 39 to lubricate the same.

As is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4 the conical pocket 2% which opensdownwardly into the enlarged portion 22 of the passage passing throughthe stuifing box, opens at its top through the flat top surface 14a ofthe stufiing box body head and the sloping face of the pocket 20 hasformed integral therewith a number of keys 37, here shown as four.

Adapted to position within the conical pocket 20 are the tapered wedges38 which are also shown as four in number, corresponding to the numberof keys 37 and each of these tapered wedges has formed longitudinally ofthe outer tapering face or side 38a, the key slot 39 which, when thewedge is placed in the pocket 20, receives a key 37. Such key slot, asshown in Figure 5, is positioned centrally between the tapering sideedges of the wedge. The inner faces of the wedges are transverselyarcuate as indicated at it? and parallel the polish rod, when theseveral wedges are assembled in the pocket 26 and form a circularpassage around and spaced from the polish rod.

Adapted to position in the passage formed by the Wedges around thepolish rod, is the packing sleeve or cylinder 41 which is made of asuitable packing material such as synthetic oil resisting rubber of thenature of neoprene or Hycar OR. This packing cylinder or sleeve 41 restsupon the annular follower 26 at the bottom of the conical pocket 20 andthe wedges 38 when initially placed in position against a new packingsleeve 41 stand up above the top' surface 14a of the stufiiing box head,as shown in Figure 4. However, the length of these wedges 38 isapproximately equal to the distance between the top 14a of the stuflingbox head and the top surface of thebottomfollower 26 so that when the 1wedges have been forced down as far as they are intended to go the topsthereof will be flush with the top of the stufiing box head as shown inFigure l.

The stufling box head 14 is externally screw threaded in the top partthereof as indicated at 42 and there is adapted to be positioned overthe top of the head, the

cap which is generally designated 43 and which com 2'- prises acentrally apertured top plate 44 and the 'encircling side flange 45. Theside flange 4-5 of the cap is internally threaded to engage the threads42 as shown 7 in Figure 1.

Resting upon, the tops of the wedges 38 is the annular top follower 46which has a collar 46a whichiextends up through the opening 44a of thetop plate portion of the adjusting cap. This collar also rests upon thetop end of the packing sleeve as shown.

Surroundingthe top follower 46 and also resting upon the tops of thewedges, is a flat loose 'washer 47 upon which the cap 43 bears inaddition to bearing upon the top'follower as shown.

It will be readily understood from the description thus far given thatfor the purpose of forcing the wedges 38 downwardly and compressing thepacking sleeve 41 against the polish rod, the adjusting cap 43 isrotated and while any suitable means may be employed for turning thecap, there are shown secured to the top of the cap as by welding or inany other suitable manner, a pair of handles or levers 48 which arepositioned at opposite sides of the polish rod to extend radiallyoutwardly across the top of the cap. These handles or levers may be madeof any suitable tubular material, or any other suitable hand hold meansmay be mounted upon the adjusting cap as may be desired.

As previously stated when a new packing sleeve is placed in the stuflingbox it will project, together with the wedges, a substantial distanceabove the stop of the stufling box head 14 and a slight initial downturning t of the adjusting cap will force the wedges downwardly tocompress the packing against the stuffing rod. VAs

the stuifing rod wears the packing can be maintained 'ti'ghtthereagainst by intermittentlyr turning down the adjusting cap until afinalrposition is reached as shown in Figure 1 where the wedges cannotbe forced down any farther. After this stage has been reached and thepacking becomes sufficiently Worn it will be necessary to replace thesame with a new packing sleeve.

During the period that the stuffing box is in use, while iii? 4 1 thewell is being pumped, lubricating oil will be run in from the flow lineby way of the pipe 33 and discharged through the radial passages 36 intothe center of the bottom follower 26 around the polish or piston rod.

By the provision of the guide. keys 37 working in the slots 39 in thewedges, the wedges will be prevented from turning around and twistingthe packing'mate'rial as downward pressure is applied to them by the adjusting cap. 7

While the keys 37 have been illustrated as being integral with the wallof the pocket 20 formed in the stufiing box head 14, withthe keychannels formed in the wedges, it is tobe understood that thisarrangement may be reversed if desired by forming the channels in thewall of the pocket 20 and having the keys integral 7 with the outerfaces of the wedges.

I claim: 7 a a V in a weli stuffing box, a body having a cylindrical topportion having a tapered socket in its top surface, said socket openinginto a cylindrical axial bore at its lower end, a tubular extension of alesser diameter than V the diameter of said top portion depending fromthe lower end of the top portion and having its bore opening into saidcylindrical bore and of a lesser diameter than that of the latter boreso that an annular shoulder is provided at the lower end of thecylindrical bore, an

annular follower having a plurality of radial ducts open-s ing throughits inner and outer edges seated on said shoulder and encircling apolishing rod depending through said top portion and the tubularextension, a packing sleeve encircling the polishing rod within saidsocket and seated on said follower, a wedging element seated in saidsocket to forcibly hold said packing sleeve in contact with thepolishing rod, an annular washer en-' circling the polishing rod andseated on the top surface of said body and partially overlying the topend of said wedging element, a cap element having an annular flange inthreaded engagement with the top end of said body to retain said washerand the wedging element in place, and a passage opening through the sideof said top portion in alignment with one of the ducts ofsaid' fol- 1lower for the ingress of an oil to effect the lubrication of thepolishing rod by way of said ducts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

